This is The Art Dept, a podcast dedicated to the art behind movie and TV magic. This is an exploration and a showcase of the creatives that never write a line, say a single word nor appear on screen yet their work creates the scene, the feel and the backstory for the characters you love and love to hate.

I’m Josh Cooperman and this episode of the podcast features an interview with set decorator, Beth Wooke. Beth’s body of work is vast with some amazing shows, not the least of which is the TV smash hit, This Is Us. Beth defined the characters for us, showed us how the live, where and how they spend their time. We learn by how these characters live how they are like and unlike us. And these are people we have grown to care for, deeply. Beth defined these people in the first season and that really seems to be Beth’s super-power.

I wanted to know more about how Beth does this, where she gets her inspiration from and they answer may or may not surprise you. What you will hear, is how this creative uses her personal experiences to shape the environment of the characters and makes them come to life in between the lines.

Before we get to Beth, I want you to hear from another set decorator, Don Diers. Don has a truly diverse body of work. He has decorated sets for The Muppets, Jane the Virgin, Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer. Don is also a cross-over in the art department with work as a production designer, art director, set dresser and prop master.

Thank you for listening to this episode of The Art Dept. Every episode will feature the Hollywood elite, the A-Listers who make TV and movie magic every day. Please follow us @ConvoByDesign on twitter and @ConvoXDesign on Instagram, you can also track the show using #TheArtDepartmentPodcast (all spelled out). The show is available everywhere you find your favorite podcasts. I’m Josh Cooperman, thanks for listening.